Greg Sterling found an ad today for 877-520-FIND that took him to http://www.520find.com/. He looked for but couldn’t find any ownership information. Other than a reference to LanLogic on the terms of use page.
While the facts of ownership may be cloudy, there are several things that are clear:
1)The service works very well. I tested it with 7 calls this morning and only ran into problems on one business name (and no place names) out of the seven attempts and that was the try with the radio blaring. I have started using it instead of my contact directory which can be distracting when driving down the road.
2)It definitely uses the Google Maps local data set. I have optimized the business titles for several local businesses in the Google Local Business Center and those titles are listed in 520-FIND verbatim.
If you haven’t tried the service yet, you should. It demonstrates how local data is quickly being pushed out into the world.
[...] As Bill noted, Google Local is a “structure generation engine” that collects information from a wide range of structured and unstructured data sources, “normalizes” this information and presents that which is trusted to the user in its local directory, the Google organic search results and “responses to others requests for information” (see 520-find and Google SMS). [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » A summary of Bill Slawski’s Google Local Search Patent summary — November 8, 2006 @ 2:49 pm
[...] -The 520-FIND voice activated directory service which I now use instead of my phone contact list to dial my clients when on the road. [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local » Will Google Maps (Local) data become more accurate & useful over time? — November 8, 2006 @ 5:47 pm
[...] Microsoft acquires TellMe. I have been a big fan of 877-502-Find as a safe and productive tool for cell phone calling. It demonstrates effectively how voice (even though frustrating 10% of time) can move local search data easily into the mobile world. It avoids the DWT (driving while typing) offense that seems likely to kill people and is less frustrating than talking to directory assistance in a foreign country. The TellMe acquisition will put this type of service on the front burner as Google, Microsoft and others compete for the next generation of mobile search. [...]
Pingback by Understanding Google Maps & Yahoo Local Search » Your mobile phone meets the ether — March 15, 2007 @ 9:23 am
[...] have followed Goog-411 from its seriptitious inception masquerading as a non-Google service called 520-find, to its bizarre rural advertising [...]
Pingback by Goog-411 R.I.P. – I’ll Miss You | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search — November 12, 2010 @ 10:13 am